Monday, June 15, 2009

One Market's Extraordinary Dine about Town Value

I like bargains, according to Econ 101 I get a natural high when I experience "consumer surplus." I like to get this "consumer surplus" adrenaline rush during Dine about Town (DaT.) Before you roll your eyes, DaT IS a gimmick because sometimes the prix-fixe is only a few dollars cheaper and without much choices. In my opinion, DaT is a better bargain for lunch and ONLY at One Market, Spruce and Sutro's. The only dinner place with most "consumer surplus" is Ruth Chris' Steakhouse.

Janurary 2009 DaT:

I save my trip to One Market for every DaT event because I'm saving over $30 for an always changing, fantastic professional service and tantalizing menu. In January, I discovered their flavored ice tea: a carafe of unsweetened ice tea and a shot glass of fresh fruit puree.

June 2009 DaT:

Asparagus Soup with Poached Egg and Bacon - They bring out a hot bowl with the poached egg and bacon and then pour the soup into bowl at the table. I love details and the presentation made me double up my breathe. The soup is rich with the added texture of the egg and crispy bacon

Roasted Chicken with Grits and Collard Green - Half of a chicken and it was brined since the white meat was still moist, a little bland. The grits has a gelatinous bite.

Brownie sundae with coffee ice cream - A lighter version since the brownie was two sandwich cookie size, it was simple yet a familiar way to end a meal.

Farmer's Market Salad - The salads are never overdressed at One Market.

Open Faced Ravioli with Peas and Ricotta Cheese in a carrot sauce - This dish was outstanding. I don't usually order a vegetarian entree but this dish would convert me. The pasta was thin with a bite and then filled with a mountain of fresh vibrant green peas. The ricotta cheese was in the middle with a foamy carrot sauce.

Nectarine Tart with Blackberries - I noticed One Market uses the same cake base for all the desserts (of course, beside the brownie dessert.) The cake is spongy, buttery and crusty. The presentation was enough to entice me to finish the dessert even though I was full.

Non DaT menu (this part will emphasize the value of the DaT pricing):

Mahi Mahi$23 - Flaky, slightly overcooked but seasoned very well

Banana "burlee" with Peanut Butter and Vanilla Ice cream$10 - The dessert is $10!! As stated before, they used the same cake piece and dressed it was fresh bananas torched with sugar and ice cream.

Fun tidbits: The police was harassing the valet because they weren't moving the cars fast enough and gave him a citation. A brand spanking new without license plates Tesla was parked in front and got sideswiped. (Big OUCH!)

One Market is continuing the DaT pricing until the end of June with a new menu starting June 16th. I will be back to spend pennies on luxury.